Sphero is for the young and young at heart

Have you ever had some tech toy, some electronic gadget, that you really wanted but couldn’t justify? For me, that’s the Sphero.

The Sphero (http://www.gosphero.com) is such a cool little toy, I can hardly stand it. It’s a ball. And it glows. Right there, I’m sold.

What makes the Sphero so great is that you can control where it rolls using apps on an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Android device. Roll it around the room. Frighten the cats.

I’m writing this from the International CES show in Las Vegas, Nev., where I’m getting a good look at important technologies that will shape the year ahead. Oh, and I also got to see a Sphero demonstration again. I never miss a Sphero demonstration.

The problem with Sphero is that it’s insanely cool, but you’re limited in what it can do. Once you’ve rolled it around the room for a while, where do you go?

The developers know this, and that’s why they’re working with app-makers to get more Sphero apps created. Right now, there are over 20 free Sphero apps in the iTunes Store.

For my demo, the Sphero rep showed me a new augmented reality game called Sharky the Beaver, where the phone or tablet’s camera records your Sphero rolling around, but changes the on-screen image to that of Sharky the beaver (a beaver with a shark fin on his back). The goal of the game is to help Sharky get some cupcakes.

Even after that, I wasn’t convinced that Sphero had enough lasting fun it in to justify the $129.99 price. I said that to the guy giving the demo.

“I don’t know, maybe you’re just not young,” the Sphero rep said.

Ouch. Now that’s quite a selling point: you’ll enjoy this unless you’re so geriatric that you no longer have a childlike sense of fun.

Maybe I need to treat myself to a Sphero, after all.

Follow TROY DREIER at http://twitter.com/TDreier or e-mail him at loggedon@mac.com.